Chief Minister to inaugurate Kusum-C project on June 11

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyaan (PM KUSUM)–C project, which will provide farmers with reliable daytime electricity by installing solar units near agricultural electricity feeders will be officially launched by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on June 11 at Gauribidanur of Chikkaballapura district, said Energy Minister K.J. George.

Speaking at a curtain raiser press conference on Monday, he said, “Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Food and Ration Distribution Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Nayak, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Ministers Krishna Byre Gowda, M.C. Sudhakar, and others will be participated.”

The KUSUM–C scheme aims to provide farmers with reliable daytime electricity by installing solar units near agricultural electricity feeders. These units will generate power locally, which will then be supplied to agricultural pump sets through the feeders. This localized generation ensures the delivery of high-quality power, the Minister noted.

In Gauribidanur taluk’s Thondebhavi Hobli, a 20 MW solar unit has been established across approximately 60 acres in the villages of Hanumenahalli and Charakamattenahalli. This is the largest solar installation under the KUSUM–C scheme in Karnataka to date, which is why Gauribidanur was chosen for the scheme’s official launch. The land for the project has been leased from private owners for a period of 25 years, he added.

Further the Minister stated that, the KUSUM–C scheme, introduced four to five years ago, was initially put on hold in the State. However, after our government came to power, we decided to implement the scheme and invited tenders.

The central government provides a subsidy of ₹1.05 crore for generating 1 mw of solar power, which significantly reduces the cost of establishment of the Solar Power System for the RESCO developers. “The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission has fixed a maximum rate of ₹3.17 per unit of electricity, ensuring affordable and reliable power supply for farmers. In the first phase of the scheme, we aim to generate 2,400 megawatts of solar electricity through the solarisation of agricultural feeders. This will provide quality daytime electricity to around 6,19,000 (6 lakh 19 thousand) agrarian pump sets, significantly reducing their energy costs and ensuring a reliable power supply,” he explained.

Published - June 10, 2025 12:09 am IST